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Document Sample
Developing an Early Childhood and School
Readiness Business Plan
October 17, 2008
Centers of Excellence Workshop
United Way of Central Iowa
Charles Bruner, Director
Child & Family Policy Center
Des Moines, Iowa
Why a Business Plan?
Appeals to non-Human Service Audience
Uses language of business leaders
Emphasizes Specific Investment/Accountability
Features Not Adequately Employed/Effectively
Conveyed in Human Service Programs
Measurable Results
Return on Investment
Management and Continuous
Learning/Adaptation
Can Deal with Large Investment Needs
Business Plans and Early Childhood/
School Readiness and Success
Rensselaerville Institute Outcome Funding
application to human services in 1980s
United Way of Allegheny County “Early
Childhood Initiative” Business Plan in 1996
United Way of Central Iowa Early Childhood
Business Case, 1998-2008
A Business Plan vs. a Proposal
Proposal Business Plan
Needs Statement vs. Market Analysis
Program Descriptions vs. Product Lines
Goals and Objectives vs. Quantifiable Benefits/Returns
Operational Plan vs. Management System
Job Descriptions Management Team
Linear GANTT Chart Continuous Learning Structure
Summative Evaluation Benchmarks, Real Time Feedback
Summary of Differences
Proposal Business Plan
Spending on Programs Investing in Solutions
Business Plan for Early Childhood/
School Readiness and Success:
NATIONAL RESOURCES
Market Analysis
Product Lines
Quantifiable Benefits/Returns
Market Analysis: Children not
starting school ready for success
Health
15.5%
7.6%
Child Trends Analysis of
8.1% ECKS-1 Data – More than
13.2% 5.0%
half of children start
Social and school behind on one or
Emotional 5.0% more dimensions of
6.4% school readiness, one in
four start school behind
on more than one.
Cognitive
source: Child Trends analysis of ECLS-K, base year public-use data for 1998-1999
Product Lines: Programs/services
that can improve children’s
readiness for school
Early Health: 20%
Learning
Preschool and Other
Early Care and
Health,
Education: 30%
Family
Mental
Health and
Support Family and
Nutrition
Community: 40%
Special Needs/ Special Needs: 10%
Early
Intervention
source: Early Childhood Systems Working Group
Early Childhood
Systems Working Group
Alliancefor Early Childhood Finance
http://www.earlychildhoodfinance.org
The Build Initiative
http://www.buildinitiative.org
The Children’s Project
http://www.thechildrensproject.org
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
http://www.clasp.org/publications.php?id=3
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
http://www.ccsso.org/earlychildhood
National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
http://www.nccp.org
National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/cc.htm
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
http://www.nga.org/center
Smart Start National Technical Assistance Center
http://www.nationalsmartstart.org/
State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network (SECPTAN)
http://www.finebynine.org
ZERO TO THREE
http://www.zerotothree.org
Quantifiable Benefits/Returns: Gains
from children starting school ready
Short-Term Long-Term
Reduced Grade Retention Reduced Delinquency
Reduced Special Education Reduced School Drop-Out
Use Reduced Adolescent Parenting
Reduced Disruptive Reduced Welfare Dependency
Classroom Behavior Improved Earnings and
(including absenteeism and Productivity
suspensions)
Reduced Criminal Justice
(Improved Workforce Involvement
Productivity of Parents)
Returns on Investment
from Selected Sentinel Programs
Government/Taxpayer
Society
$2.51
Participant
$2.91
$0.92 $4.66 $5.95
$1.57
$3.27
$0.16 $2.44
$1.58 $0.82
Chicago Parent-Child Perry Preschool Elmira PEIP Abecedarian Project
Centers $7.10 Total $8.74 Total $6.92 Total $4.01 Total
source: Early Learning Left Out: Closing the Investment Gap for America’s Youngest Children,
2nd Edition. Voices for America’s Children and the Child & Family Policy Center. April 2005.
Current Public
Early Childhood Investments
Per Child Composite Investments in
Education and Development by Child Age
Composite of Nine States & District of Columbia Assessments (2003)
State and Local
$9,000 Federal
$7,889.15
$8,000
$7,000
$6,000
$5,000
$4,113.30
$4,000
$3,000
$2,000 $1,683.30
$1,000 $708.63
$0
Infants and Toddlers Pre-schoolers (3-5) School-age Children College-age Youth
(0-2) (6-18) (19-23)
source: Early Learning Left Out: Closing the Investment Gap for America’s Youngest Children,
2nd Edition. Voices for America’s Children and the Child & Family Policy Center. April 2005.
United Way of Central Iowa
Business Plan for
Early Childhood/ School Readiness
Direction from Leadership (United Way of
Central Iowa, Greater Des Moines Community
Partnership, and the Des Moines Community
Foundation)
Universal focus: Address all children (what all
children need, not just poor children).
Be results-focused.
Draw upon best data and research for projections
(McGladrey & Pullen).
Report Format and Structure:
Overview
Children Starting School Not Fully Ready for School
Market
[1/2 of all Polk children, 20% significantly behind
Analysis
and requiring intensive intervention to try to catch up]
Home visiting and family support [competent
parenting]
Comprehensive and preventive health services [health
Product and nutrition]
Lines
Child care quality, affordability, and availability
[constant, stable, appropriate supervision]
Enriched preschool [guidance and instruction]
Quantifiable Current public expenditures on short-term and long-
Benefits/ term opportunity areas [$150+ million annually in
Returns state, federal, and local resources expended]
Individual Product Line Assessment
Specific
Description of products, their features, and the
Product
evidence related to their anticipated benefits
Line
A. Estimate of number of children who can benefit
Market and will participate in market line
Analysis B. Estimate of product cost per child
C. Estimate of current investment in product line
A. Estimate of potential return, based upon evidence
Potential from exemplary programs (both local and
Returns on national)
Investment B. Identification of early ways to assess likelihood
of producing benefits
Example of Product Line Assessment:
Enriched Preschool
Preschool Program: (1) for three- and four-year-olds;
(2) at least ½-day in duration; (3) with skilled teacher
Product and curriculum/intentional learning environment; (4)
Line with ratio of child to teacher/aide of 1-8 or less; and
(5) with ability to address other family needs through
referrals
Number of 3- and 4-year-olds below 130% / 185% of
poverty who could be enlisted to participate – (2)
Market
those currently participating in Head Start, Shared
Analysis
Visions, Part B preschools, or another high quality
programs
Potential Perry Pre-School/Chicago Parent-Child Center
Returns on potential returns, with specific short-term reductions
Investment in special education use in early elementary grades
Preschool Investment Opportunity
3- and 4-Year-Olds 3- and 4-Year-Olds
130% of Poverty or Below 185% of Poverty or Below
2,000 Children 3,200 Children
Shared Would
Visions/Emp Shared
Decline
19.0% Visions/Emp
20.0%
380 13.8%
Children 640
440 Children
Would Children
400 Decline
Head Start 750 Children 20.0%
37.5% 810
Children
Children
1,310 Could Be
470 Children Served
Children Head Start
Could Be 40.9%
25.3%
Served
23.5%
Investment Opportunity: Expanded Investment Opportunity:
470 preschoolers x $4,500 = $2,115,000 1,310 preschoolers x $4,500 = $5,895,000
source: Polk County Early Childhood and School Readiness Business Case Update. Child &
Family Policy Center. May 2005.
Overall Investment Opportunities in
Relation to Potential Returns
Product Line Current Investment Investment Opportunity
Home Visiting/Family Support $ 4,375,000 $ 2,048,000
Health Services $ 4,544,000 $ 1,844,000
Early Care and Education $ 7,164,000 $ 18,800,000
Enriched Preschool $ 9,282,000 $ 2,115,000 *
Other $ 1,080,000
Total $ 26,445,000 $ 24,807,000
Total per Young Child $ 793.34 $ 744.20
* based on 130% of Poverty or Below
Comparison: $150 Million per year in public spending (remediation,
public protection and welfare services)
source: presentation to United Way of Central Iowa’s Board on the Polk County Early Childhood
and School Readiness Business Case Update. Child & Family Policy Center. December 2005.
Lessons Learned from Polk County
Business Plan Experience
“Good enough” data available to do sound ballpark
estimates (credibility is based upon the process and
vetting of information – refining estimates will require
real-world experience, in any event).
Return on investment/avoided cost analysis can help
with “sticker shock” regarding size of overall
investment gap (data also can be used as an educational
tool regarding expectations for community-wide
change).
Plan can be used as a long-term strategic investment
tool (framework also can be used to strengthen ability
to develop performance measures for continuous
learning and accountability for investments).
Lessons Learned from Polk County
Business Plan: Part Two
Additional emphasis needs to be provided on
intersection of different product lines (effective
referrals and partnerships).
Straight-line results accountability does not do
justice to interactive impacts in a multi-causal
and multi-consequential world.
Additional emphasis needs to be given to
neighborhood approaches to school readiness.
Resources from CFPC/SECPTAN
Early Learning Left Out, 2nd Edition
Many Happy Returns: Three Economic Models that
Make the Case for School Readiness
Village Building and School Readiness: Closing
Opportunity Gaps in a Diverse Society
Beyond the Usual Suspects: Developing New Allies
to Invest in School Readiness
The Healthy Child Story Book – Federal Policy
Opportunities to Improve Children’s Healthy
Development: Within and Beyond SCHIP
Reauthorization
Next Steps:
Individual and Group Work
Adapting the Business Plan and its Lessons Learned
to Current local United Way Planning
Developing an early childhood/school readiness or
other business plan
Developing aspects of a plan – focusing upon a
particular product line
Using some of the methodologies and approaches in
developing performance measures and impacts for
current or future investments
Developing additional marketing and public
education materials supporting investments in early
childhood and school readiness or other area
... continued
Next Steps:
Individual and Group Work, continued
Identifying the Next Steps to Take in this
Process, including:
Specific market, product line, or return-on-
investment analysis to be conducted
Key stakeholders to involve in planning and
development/management structure
Expectations for work/quantifiable benefits in
a broad context
Resources and Information
Charles Bruner, Director
Child & Family Policy Center
218 6th Avenue, Suite 1021
Des Moines, IA 50309
www.finebynine.org
State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network
www.gettingready.org
School Readiness Indicators Initiative
www.cfpciowa.org
Child & Family Policy Center
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